In a recent turn of events, California-headquartered multinational technology giant Apple Inc. has reportedly launched App Tracking Transparency feature in order to enhance user privacy and force developers to be more transparent about data collection.
According to credible sources, the new feature will include a pop-up notification asking for access to track the device across websites and applications owned by other organizations. In this context, digital advertising agencies claimed that a majority of the users will decline to grant this permission.
Following the objection from developers including Facebook Inc., Apple delayed the implementation of the new feature to early 2021, in order to give the developers more time to address privacy issues and make changes to their applications, sources claimed.
Moreover, several technology companies including Facebook as well as other advertising networks have protested that Apple’s new features are anticompetitive and will negatively influence small businesses and developers, primarily gaming companies.
Apple reportedly contracted these assertions and claimed that it intends to empower users to make their own decisions regarding data collection and usage.
If reports are to be believed, Apple has sent a warning to numerous application developers on its App Store, stating that noncompliance to the new anti-tracking measure would lead to their termination from the platform.
It is to be noted that Apple was under the scrutiny from Austrian privacy group led by Max Schrems after allegedly violating European laws by using an online tracking tool in its devices.
Speaking of the forthcoming feature, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple, Craig Federighi was reported saying that although successful implementation of the App Tracking Transparency will take time, it will not only allow for true partnership across the entire technology ecosystem but also offer transformative results.
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